I’m one of those people who loves gift season. Although it’s great to receive a gift, it’s so much more fun to give one. From the planning process where you’re looking for the perfect thing, to selecting the wrapping and delivery, I believe that every detail makes the gift feel so more special.

I always feel specially inspired when looking for glamorous girly gifts for my close friends and my sister. I tend to focus on trendy gifts that are unique and luxurious but also attainable. Every item featured above is well under $100, yet their luxe value far surpasses their price.

With the holiday party season officially starting, I’ve been scrambling to find outfits for different occasions. The set above is one of my favorites as it can be worn to both to a work holiday party or at a casual Thanksgiving dinner. Moreover, I love how the rose gold details provide an understated elegance to the whole outfit and fit well with the holiday theme.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I’m already in full event planning mode and ready to take on the holiday season. Because there is no better way to celebrate the holidays than with some bubbly, I always make sure to prepare champagne cocktails every thanksgiving.

The recipe below is a simply delicious concoction that will surely make all your guests thankful to celebrate with you.

Ingredients

chilled brut champagne

2 pints of raspberries for garnish (3 raspberries per drink)

8 sugar cubes (1 sugar cube per drink)

1/2 cup brandy

orange zest

1. Place a sugar cube in each glass and pour 22ml of brandy (1/2 shotglass) into it. Sprinkle the orange zest and let the sugar dissolve with the brandy.

2. Top drink with champagne. Decorate with raspberries. Enjoy and be merry.

Although I am glad to be back home to Atlanta, I miss DC so much. It is one of my favorite cities to visit because it is filled with history, culture, and life. There is always something new to discover and no trip is ever the same. This time around, I spent a Saturday afternoon around the Georgetown area where we walked around the university (it was having a jazz festival) and explored the local shops and restaurants.

Because the temperature in DC fluctuates throughout the day, I paired a light military jacket with a day dress for once the temperatures started to drop. This Velvet Lily Aldrige Collection jacket is perfect for cool days , is easy to store, and is so casual. To see more of the apparel designed by Lily Aldrige (yes, the Victoria’s Secret Angel), check out Velvet by Graham and Spencer.

This recipe is one of my favorites. It is very simple to make, it can be served with both sweet or salty sides, and can be made for any occasion. It technically only requires corn but depending on what you add to it, the flavor can vary every time.

Ingredients:

8 cups of sweet corn (I purchased the frozen ones and them boiled them in hot water to cook them)

4 tablespoons of brown sugar

1 teaspoon of cornstarch (might not need it depending on the consistency)

1. Make sure the corn is cooked thoroughly, then blend at a medium speed until it becomes a thick paste (see image above)

2. While blending add sugar per your preference (I add all 4 tbsp. because I like the sweetness of the pancake to contrast the salty cheese but some people prefer to mute the sweetness down)

3. Pour the mixture into a skillet at low heat. Let it cook on each side until the edges are golden brown and the uncooked side is relatively dry. Do not flip until this has happened, otherwise the pancake will come apart. If your mixture is too runny, you can add some cornstarch to thicken it up.

4. Serve. I usually serve the pancakes for lunch alongside some salted Burrata cheese. Butter or cream cheese also makes a great spread.

As you can probably already tell from my other posts, my home office is very girly. In addition to the fashion illustrations in my desk area, and the varied assortment of ornaments in my bookshelf, I have unleashed my creative juices into a series of frames that hold quotes, pictures or meaningful objects to me.

Everything has some sort of meaning in this wall and ranges from being over eight years old to a couple of weeks old. I am always changing, adding, and updating the selection (I was definitely that little kid who used to draw on walls) but I think I finally came with an assortment that I love and that stands out.

The four different quotes on the wall all have different origins. The “Life’s a Party, Dress Like It” quote is originally from a Lilly Pulitzer catalog that I cut up, added glitter, and pasted into a Kate Spade printed paper. The “Everyone is a star and deserves the right to twinkle” is a quote that I love by Marilyn Monroe that I made into a rainy day craft project. The other two are from Kate Spade.

In addition to the quotes, I have also displayed my race medals on a jewelry board. I have made the ribbons into bows and used bow shaped tacks to hold them up. If you are ever thinking about making your own frame wall, a couple of tips that have worked well for me are the following:

Choose different styles, shapes, and sizes for the frame but try to keep the same color (I’ve used white to contrast with the pink)

Make it relevant to you (showcase things you actually love, otherwise you will just making holes on the wall for something you don’t care for)

Use a level (so helpful when dealing with different shaped frames)

Have fun with it! (if you end up not liking it, you could always fill int the hole and paint over it)

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https://sprinklesandtiaras.wordpress.com/2014/04/03/changes/#respondThu, 03 Apr 2014 18:56:05 +0000http://www.sprinklesandtiaras.com/?p=1280As you probably noticed, there have been a couple of changes to sprinkles and tiaras since yesterday. Not only has the layout of the blog improved, but now the blog is self-hosted. I am so happy with all of the changes and excited of what will be next. Check out the new site here and let me know what you think.